When Club Soda founder Laura gets an idea in her head, it usually turns into something pretty wonderful. We know this because as this podcast goes live, London’s first-ever alcohol-free off-licence will have been open for a week! Putting a little alcohol-free fun into the London Christmas shopping scene this December, Laura’s big idea has caused quite a splash. Listen to Laura talk to Dru live from the shop and discuss the fantastic brands and excellent masterclasses that you can expect to find in the UK’s first every alcohol-free off-licence!
Where is the off-licence?
59 Great Portland Street, London, W1W 7LJ.
For opening times, check here.
Club Soda’s alcohol-free off-licence is open on Great Portland Street, minutes walk from bustling Oxford Circus and just around the corner from the BBC. Opening in time for Christmas and keeping people stocked up for Dry January, its convenient location means you can pop down and see us as part of your Christmas shopping day!
Why did we open an alcohol-free off-licence?
For me, it’s about normalizing the idea that alcohol-free belongs on the shelves of the bottle shop. It helps us learn a little bit more about people’s behavior around alcohol free, but it also creates a far more relaxed environment.
Club Soda founder Laura Willoughby
Club Soda has been the leader of the mindful drinking movement for over seven years. Over 10,000 people attended our last real-world mindful drinking festival, a weekend-long event that took place at the Truman Brewery in January 2020. With the rise in demand for no and low alcohol drinks, we felt that our Club Soda members and many beyond would benefit from seeing their preferred drinks in an everyday environment.
This off-licence is more than just a bottle shop, though. It’s also a social space, a place to meet like-minded people who are exploring low and no alcohol options. Come and try incredible alcohol-free drinks, get advice from our in-house experts and leave with a clinking bagful of new favourite drinks!
What will you discover in the AF off-licence?
Brands
From well-known brands who’ve ‘gone low’ such as Heineken, Budweiser, and Old Mout Cider, to a myriad of fantastic dedicated low and no alcohol beers, spirits, wines, and cocktails, all ready for you to explore and enjoy.
Here are a few names available in store to get your taste buds tingling:
- Adnams Wine
- Allotment Drinks
- Bemuse
- Big Drop
- Caleno
- Copenhagen Sparkling Tea
- Drynks
- Everleaf
- Fungtn
- Gimber
- Gnista
- High Point
- Impossibrew
- Karma
- Lucky Saint
- Lyres
- Nine Elms
- Real Kombucha
- Slange Var
- Vinada
For a full list of what’s available, visit our off-licence page, or pop into the shop and we’ll happily show you around!
Masterclasses
We’re hosting special events in our pop-up off-licence to showcase the incredible selection of alcohol-free drinks that are available in Britain. Club Soda’s alcohol-free off-licence is just part of our plans to spread the word about alcohol-free drinks for a dry January and beyond. From cocktail masterclasses with brand creators to beer and wine expert tasting sessions, our lineup of events starting on 10 January are the chance to really savour the selection we have on offer. You’ll even get 10% off your favourites in-store during our events! Sign up for a masterclass today.
If you want to come and sample some drinks, you can do that. And not be sampled to by the brands, but by our trained people who can help put that into context for you. And you can try a number of different things and find a new favorite tipple – we’ve got over 70 drinks in the shop!
Club Soda founder Laura Willoughby